Paper short abstract:

The paper focuses on Vilnius as a city of mercy with very old multicultural and multi religious heritage. The main issue of this paper is to rethink the significance of new and refurbished pilgrimage sites in Vilnius Old Town, also, to examine modern trends and strategy of Vilnius tourism centers.

Paper long abstract:

The paper focuses on Vilnius, the city of pilgrimage, with very old multicultural and multi religious heritage. A large centre of culture and education in 16-17th centuries, Vilnius was particularly distinquished by its inhabitants' religious tolerance and the diversity of confessions. Today Vilnius Old Town, UNESCO World Heritage site, is a place of pilgrimage, rich in Lithuanian, Polish, Belorussian, Russian, Ukrainian, and Jewish cultural and religious heritage.

The main issue of this paper is to rethink the significance of new and refurbished pilgrimage sites in Vilnius Old Town, also, to examine the present-day strategy of Vilnius tourism and pilgrimage centers. The paper is based on a field work research conducted by the author in 2014-2018. In Soviet times a lot of churches were closed and pilgrimage was officially forbidden in Lithuania. In recent years pilgrimage sites were reframed and re-presented: the new routes for pilgrims such as "Nothern Route of Saint James through Vilnius", "The Way of Mercy", "The Pilgrim Route of Saint John Paul II", "Vilnius Calvary Way of the Crosses", "The Pilgrim Route of Saints of Vilnius" were created. Renewed religious practices added to the significance of refurbished pilgrimage sites; local heritage, traditions and religious narratives were revived and linked to European narrative cultures. To sum up, cultural and religious heritage of Vilnius Old Town as economic and political resource, which regained its significance in the global cultural economy, could be considered a marker of identity (Meethan, 2001).